If Lake Geneva can inspire Mary Shelley to pen Frankenstein, Deep Purple to write Smoke on the Water, and prompt Hemingway to extol its charms in A Farewell to Arms, just imagine what a bicycle tour around this famed lake can do for you.

We found it so inspiring we moved to the area, joining other such notable neighbors as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Red Cross, and the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG).

While most people recognize Lake Geneva as central Europe's second largest fresh water lake, we recognize it as central Europe's most beautiful. Framed by the French Alps to the south and Switzerland's Jura Mountains to the north, it towers as one of Mom Nature's true masterpieces.

Just as impressive are the cities and villages that ornament Lake Geneva's shores. Especially along Switzerland's northern banks, which many call the "Swiss Riviera". And rightfully so.

Geneva, the starting point of our tours, meshes Old World with New World, creating an electrifying cosmopolitan atmosphere steeped with international charm.

Lausanne, Switzerland's cultural center, treats museums like most cities treat Starbucks - they're everywhere; 16 in all. And the massive Cathedral of Notre Dame, a monument to Gothic architecture, looms over Lausanne like a visual siren.

Montreux, site of the world-famous Montreux Jazz Festival, is also best known for its proximity to Château de Chillon. Dating back to the 12th century, this castle's storybook beauty is magnified by its waterfront location upon a rocky crag that juts into the lake.

This entire route is also recognized as Switzerland's second largest wine-producing region. Dézaley, the region's best known vineyard, towers above a terraced slope overlooking Lake Geneva, making for a perfect setting to clink a toast.

Nearby Saint-Saphorin, a shockingly beautiful village hemmed by steep banks of vineyards, also serves as a great perch to sip and savor and maybe even catch creative inspiration of your own.